Equestria Girls: Singing a New Song
by LonghaulHoofer
Summary: Set between Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games. The sirens, still reeling from their defeat at the Battle of the Bands, make an attempt to start over in the human world, and turn to the one person that can get them started.


A couple of weeks had passed since the fiasco at the first, and probably last, Battle of the Bands at Canterlot High School. Life in the town was returning to what passed for normal, and everyone went about their usual daily routines, putting the events of that night into the far corners of their memories. Occasional whispers speculating on the strange trio that had them so captivated surfaced sporadically, mostly wondering what had happened to them after their defeat, only to disappear just as quickly.

Longhaul, the school's bus driver, heard mention of these events, and while he wasn't directly affected by them, he had a chance to talk to those that were. Longhaul was the easy-going sort, having retired from a life on the highways and byways driving a tractor-trailer the length and width of the country, which earned him the name "Longhaul," and was now enjoying the relatively peaceful life of shuttling students to school five days a week. He had earned a reputation as the go-to person whenever students had a problem they didn't feel comfortable bringing to Principal Celestia or Vice-Principal Luna. He helped out around the school often, pitching in his time to help with various volunteer efforts, and was pretty well-liked by students and faculty alike. "Go see Longhaul" became the stock answer whenever someone needed help, and he was always glad to lend a hand, or be a sympathetic ear, anytime he was asked.

Because of this, a knock on the door late Friday night didn't faze Longhaul in the least. Fridays were rife with their own set of problems, ranging from failed romances leading to improvised counseling sessions with plenty of cookies and milk to drown their sorrows and steer them toward a brighter outlook on things, to those that committed some, let's call them 'youthful indiscretions' and were hoping he could act as an intermediary between them and their parents without being judgmental in the process. They felt awful enough now, and would only feel worse when the first hangover set in, no point compounding it.

Setting his book down, Longhaul rose and went to the door. Opening it, he was first assaulted by a powerful aroma, then surprised to see three disheveled girls, their clothing filthy, standing on his front porch. He recognized them from the descriptions given by the other students. Standing in the center was the apparent leader of the group, her orange hair with yellow highlights now streaked with grime and not as vivid as it should have been; to her right, a girl with purple hair with turquoise highlights and a perpetually annoyed expression on her face; and on the left, a very timid-looking girl with blue hair and darker blue highlights. All of them were dirty beyond comprehension, and from the looks of things, probably hadn't had a decent meal or sleep in days.

"Um, hello there," Longhaul said, a smile on his face even as his nose hairs were curling from the smell, "is there something I can do for you?" he asked.

"Adagio, I don't know why you insisted on coming here," Purple Hair said snarkily.

"Can you just stop complaining for once? It's not like we have a choice!" Adagio, the orange-haired girl, hissed in reply. She didn't even try to fake a smile as she turned back to Longhaul. "Look, mister, I don't know what you've heard about us, but we have nowhere to go, we haven't had a decent meal in days, and we … " She bowed her head, ashamed to look at him, "we need help. We heard around town that you were the one to see, and that's why we're here. Can you … will you help us?"

So these were definitely the ones from the band battle, Longhaul thought. He studied the three, seeing the look of despair on the blue-haired one, the look of defiance on the purple-haired one, and the look of … defeat on the leader. He knew that look all too well. He had even worn it himself a time or two. He nodded and stepped aside. "Come in, and follow me. First, let's get you cleaned up, then some food. This way." He led the three down the hall, and to a stairway that led to the basement. The basement was a recent remodel, turning it into a small apartment of its own, with everything but a full kitchen. Comfy chairs and sofas were arranged throughout the room, a small refrigerator stood off to the side, a large-screen television hung on the wall with a DVD player sitting on a table underneath it, various movies stocked in a cabinet nearby. A full bathroom was located at the far end of the room. "You can get cleaned up in there," he said, pointing to the bathroom, "there's towels and washcloths in the closet in there for you to use. I'm guessing you don't have any other clothes?"

"This is .. kinda it," Blue Hair said, tugging at her almost-gray blouse.

Longhaul sighed. "Wait here." He went back upstairs, leaving the girls wondering what he was up to. He returned a moment later, carrying a collapsible laundry hamper and a box of clothing. "You're in luck, I hadn't brought these down to the center yet," he said, placing the box down. "Find something to wear in here, and put your dirty clothes in the hamper." He gave it a flip and it opened up. He set it on the floor. "Once you're done come back upstairs and we'll get you something to eat. I'll leave you three alone for now." He turned and went back upstairs.

Once they heard the door close, the purple-haired girl turned to Adagio. "This is getting weird. Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Aria," Adagio replied, "he's the only chance we have. Unless you particularly liked sleeping under that bridge and diving into trash cans for scraps. What do you think, Sonata?" she asked the blue-haired girl.

"I think he seems nice, just like the guy at the donut shop said before he shooed us away," Sonata said. "Besides, real food! It's been too long…"

"See? It's settled. Now, let's clean up." The trio began rummaging through the clothes box.

* * *

Sonata was the first one to stumble into the kitchen, freshly clean and sporting a new-to-her outfit. She sniffed the air, and immediately her stomach registered its approval. Longhaul was standing at the sink, draining a batch of pasta. Behind him, on the stove, a creamy sauce bubbled slowly, the scent of garlic and herbs filling the air.

"Sure smells good," Sonata said, taking some deeper sniffs.

"Thank you, it's just a little something I threw together. Oh, and you can call me Longhaul, just about everyone does. I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name…" he said, wiping his hands on a towel.

"Sonata," she replied. "It's really nice of you to do this…"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Longhaul said with a smile. "I'm always happy to help out if I can." He went back to rinsing the pasta as the other two came upstairs. "Good, you two are just in time. All of you, please have a seat."

Aria took a big sniff. "Okay, this is a compelling argument for staying here."

Sonata nodded enthusiastically. "I wonder if he makes tacos as good as this pasta smells," she said, a grin crossing her face.

Aria shot Sonata a look. "I think you have guacamole for brains, taco-head."

Adagio gave both of them a sharp poke, then looked at Longhaul with a forced smile. "Forgive them, they tend to bicker like an old married couple at times, a-ha-ha…" she said through clenched teeth.

Longhaul chuckled. "No worries," he said, tossing the pasta in the sauce. He served it into three bowls, and set one in front of each of the girls. "Dig in. I have soft drinks if you'd like, too, just let me know."

The three tore into their food, not caring about proper etiquette, just grateful to have actual warm, fresh food again. While they were eating, Longhaul disappeared down into the basement and dragged the laundry hamper, filled with dirty clothes and towels, off to the laundry room. Soon, the hum of the washer drowned out most of the noise of the ravenous sirens as they ate.

"I ... I trust dinner is acceptable?" Longhaul asked as the three practically inhaled their portions. He took a seat at the table.

"Meh … it'll do," answered Aria, seemingly nonplussed. The other two nodded enthusiastically. "I don't suppose there's more?" Sonata asked, mustering her best puppydog-eyed expression.

"Okay, okay, turn it off … of course there's more, if you want some. Save room for dessert, too," Longhaul said, retrieving empty bowls and heading to the stove.

* * *

More bowls of pasta and several pumpkin spice-flavored Twinkies later, Longhaul and the girls chatted about things. Things such as what happened, the fact that they called themselves the Dazzlings, about being a siren and the benefits and pitfalls of such, until the topic turned to a question the Dazzlings really didn't have an answer for: "What's next?"

"To be honest, we don't know what to do now. We actually never expected to get this far," Adagio admitted. "Coming here was a long shot, especially after nearly the entire town saw our humiliation and all."

Longhaul sat back in his chair and let out a long, slow breath. "I'm going to make you an offer, and you are always free to decline, no questions asked. From time to time, I take in those that need a place to stay temporarily. That' why I redid the basement, so they could have privacy and a place other than the street to rest themselves until they can secure something more permanent. I'm offering that room to you, until such time that you are able to support yourselves and find lodging of your own." He leaned forward. "There's just one thing I ask in return for all of this…"

"Here it comes…." Aria said softly, her eyes rolling skyward.

"All I want from the three of you is, keep the place neat. I'm not asking you to come and scrub the entire house, just pick up after yourselves, keep the room tidy, keep the bathroom clean, take care of your own laundry-" Sonata was about to interrupt when Longhaul stopped her - "I will show you what you need to do if you need the help, so relax. In return for that, you're welcome as long as you wish to stay." He sat back once again. "So … need time to discuss it, or have you made a decision?"

Sonata was about to say something once again, when Adagio clamped a hand over her mouth. "We'd like to discuss this in private, if you wouldn't mind," she said firmly.

Longhaul nodded and rose from his chair. "Absolutely. Take as long as you wish, I will leave you to talk. When you're finished, find me in the living room." He walked out of the room.

The three gathered closer once Longhaul was gone. "Okay Aria, out with it. Something's bothering you about all of this," Adagio said in a soft voice.

"He just creeps me out!" Aria replied, quietly but with an edge to her voice. "I just get the feeling that he's gonna start asking for .. other stuff. One night, you're gonna wake up and find him cuddling you or something." She shivered. "I just don't like it."

"Yeah, it does seem kind of strange, this whole setup and all," Adagio agreed, "but let's look at facts: We have nowhere else to go, no money, everyone that would speak to us highly recommended this guy … He hasn't done anything untoward to us since we've been here … I say we stay, at least for a couple of nights. Beats sleeping under that bridge."

Sonata nodded. "Besides, he's a great cook! And the whole time I was alone with him, he never did anything to make me feel uncomfortable. If you two wanna go, fine, but I'm staying here regardless. I trust him."

Adagio and Aria looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay, a couple of nights. And we'll go from there. Okay, Aria?" Adagio said.

Aria sighed. "Fine with me…" With that, the three rose and walked out to the living room.

Longhaul was sitting in his easy chair, reading his book, when the Dazzlings entered. "All right, we'll take you up on your offer. But only for a couple of nights. We'll re-evaluate our situation in a couple of days, and let you know what we're gonna do from then on."

"Fair enough," Longhaul replied, nodding. He set his book down and stood up. "I'll give you a better tour of the downstairs, show you where everything is, and then I'll leave you to do whatever you want to do." He motioned for the three to follow, and headed back to the basement, the Dazzlings trailing behind.

* * *

"A couple of nights" turned into a longer stay, "just until we can get ourselves together again," as Adagio put it. Adagio and Sonata were growing to like Longhaul, and the way he never seemed to get upset when things went wrong. After all, who knew that putting regular dish soap in the dishwasher would create an avalanche of suds never before witnessed by siren or human eyes? Instead, Longhaul just laughed, said the floor needed a mopping anyway, and with the three sirens pitching in, the cleanup as done fairly quickly. Longhaul really couldn't be mad about such an event anyway; to be fair, the three had never used a dishwasher before, and Sonata looked so cute with that blob of suds sitting on her nose.

Still, Aria continued to be wary of Longhaul. Oh sure, he seemed nice enough, but she wondered what his true motivation was, and if it would ever reveal itself. She remained cordial, but detached in her dealings with him, always keeping her cards close to her vest when interacting with him.

One night, Longhaul sat in his overstuffed recliner, trying to relax his sore muscles after spending the day getting the bus cleaned up so it would look good for the upcoming Friendship Games between Canterlot High and Crystal Prep. He was, quite frankly, sick and tired of hearing that stupid snooty bus driver bragging about his fancy luxury coach every time they saw each other. Even though Canterlot High would be hosting the games this year, Longhaul was determined to have his bus be the true gem he knew it was, and that meant long hours getting it to practically gleam in the sunlight.

Aria stood outside the living room, wondering if now would be the proper time to finally get some answers. Finally, she figured there was no time like the present to finally get to the heart of the matter. She walked into the living room, and stood by the doorway. "Longhaul? Do you have time to talk?" she asked.

Longhaul slowly raised his chair back to an upright position, wincing in pain as his muscles resisted even this limited form of exertion. "Of course, Aria. Please, be comfortable," he replied, motioning to the nearby sofa. As she sat down, he asked, "So, what's on your mind this evening?"

Aria figured the direct approach would be the best choice. "You are, actually. Now, I know my … sisters are extremely thankful for your help, and I am too, in a way, but I have to wonder sometimes .. why do you do this? I mean, you're a bus driver, not a guidance counselor or social worker or anything like that. And yet, you seem to be the one that everyone comes to with their problems. And I'm still not sure I understand why you're so eager to let teenagers stay at your house, no questions asked."

Longhaul nodded slowly when Aria finished, letting out a slow breath. "Those are fair concerns and questions, and I think before I answer them, I'm gonna need a drink. I'm going to get some soda, would you like some as well?" he said, getting up from the chair.

"Uh … sure," was all Aria could reply.

"Be right back," Longhaul said as he shuffled off to the kitchen. He returned with two tall glasses of soda, and set one on the end table near Aria. He settled back in his chair and took a long sip. "Now then … why I do what I do. It goes back a lot further, back to a time when I was in your very position. You see, I didn't always have all of this," he said, sweeping his arm around the room. "In fact, there was a point where, like you, I had nowhere to go and only the clothes on my back."

"You were homeless?" Aria asked, astounded by this revelation.

"In a way," Longhaul continued. "I was driving cross-country at the time, and my then-wife thought it would be a real good idea to … to fool around with another man. I found out when I got back from a long trip one day, and I just … left. House, car, clothes, everything. All I had was what was still in my truck at the time. My truck was in for maintenance, and my pay wasn't due to drop until the next week or so, so I spent a few days camping down by the river, showering at a nearby truck stop, eating convenience-store food on the cheap… I had no one to really turn to."

"I'm surprised your family wouldn't even help you out," Aria said.

"My family didn't really approve of my newly-found profession," he said sadly. "I was essentially told to get a job they approved of, or never speak to them again. It's been about twenty years now, I reckon. But, the outcome of that was, when I finally got back on my feet and rebuilt my life here, I said I would always find a way to help those in need, those with nowhere to go or no one to turn to. That's why, when you came to my door, I didn't turn you away. I knew what it was like for you being out on the streets like that. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Aria thought about this for a moment. "Okay, that makes sense, but what about the kids?" she asked skeptically.

Longhaul smiled, a sad smile all the same. "That goes back even further. Back in the days when I was trying to figure out my life's true calling, and way before I got into the glamourous world of truck driving, I worked as an emergency medical technician for the local ambulance service. I did that for quite a while, and saw a lot of things that most people never want to see in their lives. One thing I saw were the kids who had tried to harm themselves. Lot more of those than I ever cared to see. One of them lived in the neighborhood, and after he got out of the hospital, he came to see me. We talked for awhile, and he revealed that he preferred talking to me, unofficially, than to me in uniform. Or to anyone in authority, really. He felt that those that had a job to listen really didn't. I remembered that when I got the job here at the high school, and when kids came to me and asked to talk, I listened. I wouldn't tell them what they had to do, but I could offer suggestions based on my life's experiences. Lots of times they don't feel comfortable talking to the administrators, so they bend my ear for a while, and if they want, I will act as an intermediary between them and the principals."

"And the whole staying-here thing grew out of that?" Aria guessed.

Longhaul nodded. "Late one Friday night, a kid came knocking on my door, drunk as a skunk and scared witless. Said he didn't want to go home and face the wrath of his parents, and that I was the only one he could trust." He took a sip of soda. "I said he could stay, but I would have to tell his parents where he was so they didn't worry. He agreed, I called his folks and talked with them for a bit, and the next morning, when they came to pick him up, there as no ugly scene, no screaming … from that point on, I was known as a safe haven." he leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly. "And, because I know it's been on your mind, I would do nothing to betray that trust. Nothing at all." He sat back, and took another sip of soda. "I hope that answered your questions, Aria. Is there anything else you want to ask me?"

Aria thought for a moment. She took his words and really thought about what he had said. And yes, he had been nothing but kind to her and the others, never so much as giving a hint of seeking anything than helping them get their new lives together. "No … but I do want to say I'm sorry for doubting your intentions. It just … well, it didn't seem right to me at the time. Now that I know why you do this, I feel a bit better about you." She dropped her head. "I just hope you're not mad that I asked you all this stuff."

Longhaul extended his hand. "No hard feelings at all. In fact, I fully understand your feelings about all of this, and I'm glad I was able to put your fears to rest." Aria smiled, and shook his hand.

"I'm gonna try to get some sleep now," Aria said, rising from the sofa. "Thank you again for talking with me."

Longhaul smiled. "As I've said, it's what I do. Sleep well, I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Wearily, Longhaul put his key in the door lock and gave it a turn. Principal Celestia had asked him to assist the groundskeepers with getting the school ready for the impending visit from Crystal Prep, which meant a long day digging through shrubs and collecting the accumulated trash that found its way under them. Stepping inside the house, he heard music coming from the living room. He guessed that one of the sirens was cleaning in there. He had mentioned that they were welcome to play some music if for no other reason than to stave off the boredom.

Longhaul was not quite prepared to see Sonata dancing around as she waved a feather duster around various items in the room, singing along with the currently playing song. He was impressed with hearing her sing, and he thought she had a lovely voice. He stood quietly in the doorway, listening to her as she seemed to float around the room in time to the beat of the song.

He clapped softly when the song ended, eliciting a surprised peep from the blue-haired siren. "That sounded lovely, Sonata," he said with a smile.

Sonata blinked. "For realsies? I mean, I sounded pretty horrible at that competition after … well, you know, and we never really sang after that."

"C'mon," Longhaul said, "you don't need to do any more cleaning today, this place practically sparkles as it is. I don't know about you but I could use a little snack anyway."

"If it involves your cooking, I'm in," Sonata said happily, practically bouncing off to the kitchen.

As Longhaul and Sonata sat in the kitchen, two small dishes of warm apple crisp before them, he asked, "So you three never attempted to sing again after the battle?"

"Nope," Sonata answered, adding a dollop of vanilla ice cream to her dish. "I guess we figured, as bad as we sounded then, it wouldn't have been any better now." She took a bite, and made happy yummy noises. "I still say you should put this in a taco."

Longhaul grinned. "You said that about my pot roast, my Denver omelets, and that ham sandwich I made for you last Tuesday," he replied, counting on his fingers, "and while I appreciate how much you enjoy my cooking, let's return to the topic at hand. So, all this time you three have sung, you never knew your true voices?"

"What do you mean, 'true voices'?" Sonata asked, clearly confused. "The only voice we have is the one we use."

"I think what happened today," Longhaul explained, "is you let the music within you come out. You see, before the siren magic was driven from you, you were singing not because you wanted to, but because it was a means to an end. And, because you were still trying to sing that way at the battle, it didn't work. You were singing today because you wanted to, not because you had to or because you were trying to manipulate someone. That's what I meant by 'true voice,' it's the music inside you that came out naturally." After a beat, Longhaul scooped up another bite of apple crisp. "At least, that's how I see it." He popped the spoonful in his mouth.

Sonata thought about that, and after a short time, she said, "Y'know, that makes sense. I'm gonna talk to Dagi and Aria later tonight and see what they might think."

Longhaul smiled. "Very well, then. Do you know when they'll be home?"

Sonata glanced at the clock. "Should be soon," she replied.

"Okay, I'm gonna go relax a bit and then I'll start dinner." He rose and put his dish in the sink. "Just leave yours there too, and I'll get to them afterwards." He started to wander back to the living room when he was grabbed and hugged tightly.

"Thanks again, Longhaul … for all you've done for us," Sonata said. Longhaul hugged her back, saying, "Glad to be of help."

* * *

The next day, Longhaul was greeted by three very excited sirens upon his return home. "Longhaul, the most amazing thing just happened!" Adagio said excitedly.

"You mean I hit the Multi-Millions jackpot and can finally build that armadillo ranch I've been dreaming about?" he asked, a small smirk on his face.

Three deadpan looks greeted Longhaul's attempt at humor. "NO, better than that," Sonata said. "I was talking to the others about what you had told me, about letting the music inside us come out naturally, and the most amazing thing happened and - oh, come on, let us show you!" Sonata grabbed Longhaul's hand and led him into the living room.

Adagio walked over to the CD player and pressed the PLAY button. "We were working on our harmonies, and then it happened. I hope it happens again." The music started and the three began, Adagio performing the lead vocals, Aria and Sonata providing the backup. Longhaul listened intently, marveling at how well their voices meshed with each other, seeing actual joy on their faces for the first time since he had met them.

As the music reached its crescendo, all three began to glow, pony ears appearing at the tops of their heads, their hair lengthening into the appearance of manes and tails, wings appearing on their backs - dragon-like in appearance, but wings nonetheless. The three began to float off the floor, continuing to sing, until the music finally ended and the three returned to their normal forms, settling down gently on the floor.

Longhaul was stunned. "First, your singing was amazing; and second, that wasn't the first time I'd heard about or seen that happen, it's been going on back at the school for a few days now. It just happened when you began singing together?" he asked.

""Well,it affected Sonata first, mainly because she'd been working on her singing more than us," Aria explained. "She did a solo song, and then that happened. So, we tried singing together and … well, there you have it."

Longhaul got up from his chair. "I'm very happy to see you three singing again," he said, " and I hope you'll keep it up. Just remember what I said - sing for you, and no other reason. I'm gonna talk to a friend of mine tomorrow, and let her know about this development." He smiles. "You girls continue, I'll get dinner going."

* * *

"So,have you spoken to your friend yet?" Adagio asked the next night at dinner. "I'm kinda curious as to what she might have had to say."

"I'm more amazed that someone at the school is willing to help us," Aria commented. "I figured they'd be happy to see us rot after everything we did." She grabbed another mini-burger from the serving platter.

"Believe it or not, there's been quite a few asking after you three," Longhaul said between bites. "They were genuinely concerned after you ran off, and for a few day afterward they were still talking about you." The doorbell rang. "And, to answer your question, Adagio, I'll let my friend answer that for herself. Excuse me a moment." He rose and went to the door.

"I wonder what she'll have to say," Adagio said to the others. "After all, it's not like there's a lot of magic in this world, so what kind of expertise could this person have?"

"I'm pretty much the resident magic expert around here nowadays," came the reply from the doorway. Sunset Shimmer looked over the sirens with a concerned expression. "When Longhaul here told me that you had resurfaced, I was relieved in knowing you were okay. So were the others when I mentioned it to them."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa … wait a minute. I recognize you now," Aria said, her eyes narrowing. "You're the one that defeated our magical forms. Why should we trust you now?"

Sunset sighed. "Look … I know you're suspicious of me, and you have every right to be that way. But, I also know about magic. More than anyone else in this world. I'm from Equestria myself, you see, and I've been where you are now. I can help you, if you'll let me. And, I can explain a little bit more about why you keep gaining magical abilities."

"Okay … tell us about the magic first. Then, we'll decide if we want to trust you or not," Adagio demanded.

"You're not the only ones this has happened to," Sunset said, pacing the floor in the kitchen, "the other girls I am friends with have had the same thing happen to them, and they're not even from Equestria. It's happened to me, too. All I know is that it's connected to the portal somehow, possibly a random surge or some other natural phenomena. I'm still studying it, but the more I can observe, the more I can hope to learn about what's causing it."

"Why is it only happening when we sing?" Sonata asked.

"I'm not sure yet. My best guess, from observing the other girls, is that it happens when you do something you truly love to do." Sunset sat down at the table. "The more I learn about what's going on, the more I can help you use that power in a good way. Will you let me?"

The three looked at each other, then as Sunset, then at Longhaul, who simply shrugged. "Seems to be your best bet," he remarked.

Sunset said nothing, but offered a hand. Slowly, the three took her hand. "Okay. We trusted Longhaul and he's never steered us wrong yet, so we'll give you the same benefit of the doubt," Adagio said. "Let's go downstairs and talk more about this." All three rose and walked to the stairs. Sonata turned and asked, "Longhaul, do you need our help to clean up first?"

Longhaul shook his head. "You've got more important things to discuss. I can take care of this." He smiled. Just holler up if you need anything

Sunset became a regular visitor to Longhaul's house, talking to the former sirens about adjusting to life in a non-magical world. These chats ran late into the night, fueled with goodies provide by the kindly bus driver upstairs.

* * *

Several days later, Longhaul stood in the doorway of the basement room, watching as the three gathered their things and clicked their new suitcases shut. "I'm glad to hear you're all gonna do that accelerated equivalency program at Canterlot High," he said, "and that you're gonna do some music studies at the school as well."

Adagio smiled. "The music part's mostly for fun these days, and it's been fun learning about the basic theories behind it. And, we really need to get diplomas if we're gonna find any type of gainful employment. We can't get by on pretty faces and golden voices anymore." She smirked and winked at Longhaul. "Although, it's nice to know we still have both."

Longhaul grinned, and chuckled. Well, whatever it is you end up doing, I'm sure you'll do great at it. And don't forget to say hi to me at the school once in awhile, I'd love to hear how things are going for you."

"Sunset was really nice to let us stay with her," Aria remarked, "and I'll bet you'll be glad to have your house all to yourself again."

Longhaul shrugged. "I said 'as long as you needed to stay,' and I meant it. Look at it this way, it'll probably be less awkward now rooming with Sunset than staying here with me."

"Well, I for one will miss you, and not just your great cooking," Sonata said, wrapping him in a big hug. Soon, the other two joined in, with Aria's participation surprising Longhaul. "We can never repay your kindness," Adagio added, "but you have our most sincere thanks."

Longhaul hugged the girls warmly. "I told ya, it's what I do. I'm glad I could help you."

Three shrill beeps of the horn signaled the arrival of their ride. "Need help with your bags?" Longhaul asked.

"Nah, we got it," Aria said, leading the way up the stairs. The rest soon followed, and Longhaul stood outside the front door watching the three pile into a taxi for their ride to Sunset's house. The cab pulled away, and Longhaul sighed deeply, gazing up at the night sky. "Good luck to you three, I know you'll be fine," he said to himself softly.

A rustle in the bushes at the edge of the sidewalk caught Longhaul's attention. "Hello? Who's there?" he called out. A dark figure darted away from the bushes and down the street. Longhaul shrugged. "Probably the neighbor's dog again," he muttered, and headed back inside.

A dark figure stood under a tree further down the block, catching her breath. She raised a strange looking device to her face and studied the readings on the dimly-lit screen. Her glasses reflected the readout and illuminated the shock of purple hair that had worked its way out from under the hood of the sweatshirt she wore. "It's here, too … this means something, but how does it all connect?" wondered the mystery girl. She powered down the device and, seeing no one else about, headed for the bus stop to catch the last bus across town.


End file.
